Breech-load ing fire-arm



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

A. E. WHITMORE.

BRBBGH LOADING FIRE ARM. No. 386,174

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `No Model.)

A. E. WHITMORE.

BREEGH LOADING PIRE ARM.

No. 386,174. Patented July 17, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREV E. VIIITMORE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BREECHMLOADING` FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,174, dateduly 17, 1888. Application filed April 2, 1898. Serial No. 269,353. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW EWHITMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sprlngiield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or igures of reference marked thereon, which form .a part of this specification.

This invention relates te breech-loading firearms, more particularly that class termed breakdown internal-hammerguns, having instrumentalities which operate by breaking of the weapon to simultaneously cock thehammer, block the scar, and lock the trigger.

rlhis invention further consists in the cons struction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, set forth, and claimed.

rlhe above-mentioned improvements and details of construction, as well as the operation of the several instrumentalities, as ap plied to a single-barrel breech-loading lirearm are the same in a double-barreled weapon, except in the latter instance, where certain parts must necessarily be duplicated.

In the drawings herewith annexed I have shown several parts constructed for a weapon having two barrels.

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation longitudinally ofthe mid-rib with the weapon closed, the hammer down, and the fore-end only partially engaged. Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the weapon broken down and with the hammer in elevation, cocked. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2, but with the weapon closed, the hammer and sear blocked, but with the trigger free to operate. Fig. 4 is an elevation of ahammer, showing the manner of mounting the mainspring thereupon, and with the lateral arm of the cocking-lever in section. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the under side of the hammers, springs, and cooking-lever in a double-barreled ire-arm. Fig. 6 is a plan of the cocking-lever. Fig. 7 is a side view, and Fig. Sis a longitudinal section, of the same with the trip-lever in elevation. Fig. 9 is a rear end view of said cocking-lever. Fig. 10 is a plan. Fig. 11 is a sectional view longitudinally of the fore-end, showing my novel compensator device. Fig. 12 is a plan view of one ol' the sears; Fig. 13, a side view, and Fig. 14 an end view, of the intermediate extension arm rocker. Fig. 15 is a vertical section longitudinally of the lock-cap and trigger plates.

In said drawings, A represents the mid-rib of a lire-arm constructed, as usual, with fastening-lugs,which engage the frame B, and furnished with an extractor, C.

The primary feature of my invention consists in simultaneously locking the hammer, blocking the sear, and locking the trigger in the act of breaking the weapon. The hammer is shown at a, located and pivoted, as usual, in the frame,and operated by a cooking-lever, b, provided with a slot, 2, (see Fig. 6,) lengthwise of it and at its rear end, also two lateral arms, 3, (in a double fire-arm) transversely of it, and a projecting free end, 4, with a depression or notch, 5, on its under side. Reference to Fig. 4 shows the mainspring at E, its lower leaf at 42, pivoted to the hammer at a point in front of the pivot of the latter. rlhe upper leaf, 40, overlaps the lower and is secured to the upper end of a stirrup, 4l, pivotally attached to said hammer in rear or to one side of the hammer-pivot. Several. advantages are obtained thereby. The hammer or hammers are readily removed and replaced. Further, no frictional contact occurs between the iixed parts of the weapon when the mainspring is actuated. The front free end, 4, of said cockinglever engages a notch, 7, in the rear upper end portion ofa cooking-pin, c,loeated obliquely in the barrel-lug and secured thereto by a pin beneath. Furthermore, said coeking pin c has endwise movement, sliding in the barrel lug, to force it to engage the front end of the cooking-lever when the weapon is made up. This is effected by a connecting-rod, d, disposed obliquely in the extractor-stem. The latter is in turn operated by the free hooked end of the extractonlever c, pivoted to the fore-end D, and when the latter is sprung into place the cooking-pin c moves rearwardly and engages beneath the end 4- of the cookinglever.

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' double fire-arm.

The pivotal end of the lever c is formed to engage the intermediary levertf. One end of the latter rests upon the lever e, while the rear end of said lever f, wiping upon the front portion, 6, of the frame B, is operated thereby. Thus prior to the act of breaking the weapon the several parts above described are as shown. in Fig. 1, with the exception that the fore-end is in position and thc connecting-rod d is retracted within theeXtractor-stem, while the cooking-pin c is forced rearwardly, and its fastening-piu would be at the upper end of the slot 9 (see Figs. 2 and 8) on the under side, and said cooking-pin c has fully engaged the cooking-lever. Upon breaking the weapon and swinging of the barrels upon the jointcircle g (see Fig. 2) the rear end of the lever f is lifted by the frame portion 6 actuates the extractor-lever c, th rowing the hooked end of the latter against the extractor-stem, which is pushed rearwardly and ejects the empty shell. Coincident with the swinging movement of the barrel, and also that of the cocking-pin c in the lug, the rear end of said pin is lifted, while the cooking-lever b is raised until the two are brought against the frame portion 10 as astop. The interlocking of said cocking-pin and lever by means of the notch 7 in the former and the ldepression 5 in the latter effectually opposes the action of the mainspring E to close the weapon partially. Thus the barrel and frame are firmly held (see Fig. 2) in position until fresh cartridges have been inserted.

Cooking ofthe hammer by the upward hrow of the coeking-lever b is produced as follows: Upon reference to Fig. the coeking-lever t is shown with two transverse arms, 3 3, for a The hammers are cut away at 14:, (see Figs. d and 5,) and said arms engage therein. The movement of the free end of the cocking-lever by engagement of said arm 3 with the hammer cocks the hammer, throwing the latter back until engaged by the scar.

Vithin the slot 2 upon the upper side of the cocking-lever and loosely hung up'on the pivot of the latter is placed a trip-lever, h, springactuated and provided with a shoulder, 15, adapted to engageasimilarly-formed shoulder, 16, upon the barrel-locking bolt Vhen the latter is retracted to release the barrels in breaking the weapon, said shoulders 15 16 engage with each other, and the bolt is held drawn back until the weaponis in the act of closing. At this moment said trip-lever is tilted rearwardly by the wiping contact of the lug 13 against it, and said lever is disengaged from the bolt,which is free to advance. This permits the weapon to be closed more easily.

In the act of cooking the hammer,and when the cock-notch has reached the nose of the searj, a further backward movementI of the hammer is effected by the parts then actuating said hammer. By means of this slight additional travel of the hammer the latter wipes and oscillates an intermediate piece, 7s. This I term the extension arm rocker,77 since it rocks freely en the scar-pivot and is furnished with extensionarms 17 to engage the hammers. (See Figs. 13 and 14.) Furthermore, said arms are formed with a shoulder, 36, which engages the top edge of the sears. Thus, when the hammer actuates said rocker 76,110 thrust the trigger-locking bolt back, the tail end of the sears are depressed. This act brings the nose of the sears in active engagement with the hammers to hold them cocked.

By the action of the hammer upon the arm 17 the trigger-locking bolt Z is thrust back and the tail of the scar simultaneously operated, as above premised.

Centrally of the frame,longitudinally thereof and back of the hammer, islocated the trigger-locking bolt Z, secured at its rear to the cross-lever o, the latter pivoted to the triggerframe c. A lug or safety, 18,so called, is formed laterally of the bolt and co-operates with thelug 19 on the trigger m. Furthermore. the latter is pivoted, as usual, and is furnished with an upwardly-projecting prong, 20. Vertieally above the rear end of the sear j, and secured to the wall of the frame B, is placed the spring-actuated Sear-guard n, hook-shaped, with its free lower end, 21, pointing rearwardly and adapted to engage an arm, 23, upon the tail of the sear. (See Fig. 12.) A lateral stud, 24, in the upper part of said. searguard servesto eo-operate with the prong 20 on the trigger in unlocking the sea-r.

Assuming the above parts are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, breaking of the weapon and the consequent cocking ofthe hammer will produce the following changes and operation of the above last-mentioned parts: Then the hammer contacts with and pushes the extension-arm 17 of the intermediate rocker, la, the trigger-bolt is thrust back andthe safety 18 is aligned with and above the lug 19, which act locks the trigger. The same movement of said rocker k, by contact of its arm 17 with the sear, depresses the tail end of the latter and permits the hooked end 21 of the scar-guard n byits spring to swing rearwardly and upwardly above the stud The position of the scar-guard is then as shownin Fig. 2, and the searis blocked.

ln a double-barreled weapon it is evident .that this method of independently blocking each sear prerents premature action of either hammer by jarring, and no discharge can possibly occur until each scar is unblocked by a pull upon its cooperating trigger. This effected as follows: To release the trigger now blocked, as shown in Fig. 2, the thumb-slide p, which grasps the head of the cross-lever o, and now central of the slot 25 in the tang, is thrust forward, advancing the bolt, and with it the safety 1S, now placed to one side of and in front of the lip 19 on the trigger m. (See Fig. 1.) Pull upon the latter raises the rear end ef the trigger, and simultaneously its IOO IIO

prong 20 presses against the pin 2t. The lower hooked end, 21, of the scar-guard is swung forward, unblocking the scar. The rear end is then raised by the trigger, when the hammer is released. A spring, 26, returns the trigger toits normal position as before the pull. The thumb-slide p is held in posit-ion by the spring x, the free extremity of which is l'ormed with holding-notches 27, threein number. By the employment thereof th ree difiervent positions are obtained for the trigger-locking bolt. \Vhen this cross-lever rests in the front one, (see Fig. 1,) the triggers are not locked and are free to operate. When in the center notch, (see Fig. 2,) the triggers are blocked. When in the rear notch, (see Fig. 3,) the locking-bolt is thrown far back and the said bolt is inoperative. The weapon now maybe broken, when the hammer is cocked and at once released, without movement of the thumb-slide, the triggers being then free to act at all times, since the trigger-locking bolt does not move.

To obviate wear and cause the barrels t0 closely fit against the breech-block, I have located a rocking block, q, in the latter. This block q co-operates with the rib-hook l2 and is rendered adjustable by the screw 2S. Forward movement of the latter against the lower end ot said compensating block `qforces the upper end backward, and the ribhook 12 of the barrel, when the latter is closed` is forced closely against the recoil or breech block.

To take up and prevent lost motion in the fore-end D, and to compel it to engage tightly upon the front end of the lng 29 on the barrel, (see Figs. l0 and 11,) I have provided in the fore-end, j ust back where the lug enters it, a removable compensator, r, with a pin, 30, which engages the tapered shaft 31 oi' a regulating-screw, s. Inward advaneeof the screw thrusts the compensator forward, and the lug contacting therewith forces the fore-end a corresponding amount backward and maintains it thereby against the frame.

Thejoint-circle is shown at g provided with a projection or barrel, 32. The sides of the joint-circle are fiat and fit in the lug-eut,'while the barrel 32 engages in the end 6 of the frame B. This circle abats against the frame on an angle, and is bored transversely to receive a pin, 34, by which it is secured to the frame.

In order to bring this pin within the body of the joint-circle and likewise have it coincide with the center of rotation of said circle, the frame is cut obliquely and the barrel of the joint-circle, in lieu of being horizontally positioned, as hitherto, is arranged as shown. This is an important feature.

To red uce the number of parts, I have shown in Fig.` 15 a longitudinal vertical section ofthe lock-cap plate t, the trigger-plate t, and a portion of the frame B and barrel-lug. In this instance the front end of the lock-cap plate rests on the frame, the rear portion is lapjointed over the end of the trigger-plate, and

the two are bored to receive a common retaining-screw, 35. By this means but one screw is employed and the several parts are all securely united and put together more readily.

1What I desire to claim is- I. The combination, with the extractor, its operating-levers, the fore end, and the connecting-pin movable in the extra'ictor-stem, of the cooking-pin swinging with the barrel, having cam engagement with the connecting-pin and having endwise travel to engage the cocking-lever, substantially as and i'or purposes stated.

2. In combination, the barrel, its lockingbolt, the spring-znrtnattal tri p-lever 7l. on the hammer-pivot. adapted to engage said bolt to hold it inaclive. and the barrel-lug 13, which by its cam-face engages and actuates said triplever to release said lmrrel-locking bolt, as herein specified.

3. In fire-arms wherein the breaking ol' the weapon serves to cock the hammer, the combination,with the hammer and the scar, of the extension-arm rocker which actuates said scar and the spring-impclled scar-guard operating to block the scar upon movement ol' the extension-arm rocker, substantially as described.

4. In tirearms provided with a hammer cocked by the breaking of the weapon, the combination, with the hammer, its co-operating scar, the intermediate extension arm rocker, and the spring-impclled sear-guard with its stud 24, of the trigger and its prong 20, which operates t-he scar-guard, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In [ire-arms having an internal hammer cocked by the act of breaking the weapon, the hammer and the trigger, combined with the intermediate extensionarm rocker, the trigger-locking bolt movable endwise, its lug 1S, and the cross-lever to which said locking-bolt is attached, as and for purposes herein stated.

6. In combination with the hammer and ils operating mechanism actuated by the breaking of' the weapon, the intermediate extensionarm rocker actuated by said hammer, but not locking it, and engaging the scar, substantially as set Vi'orth.

7. In combination with a hammer cocked by the breaking` ot' the weapon, the intermediate extensioirarm rocker actuated by said hammer, but not locking it, and the triggerlocking bolt which contacts with said rocker, for purposes herein described.

8. In combination with the. fore-end, barrel, and stock, a lever, j", pivotcd in said fore-end, a lever, e, also pivoted in said fore-end and engaging the lever f, a connecting-pin, d, in contact with the lever c, an extractor, C, in contact with said comlecting-stem, a. cockingpin, c, in contact with said connecting-pin, a eocking-lever, Z1, in engagement with said cocking-pin and havingan arm, 3, aham mer cocked bysaid cockinglever,an extension-arm rocker,

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7c, actuated by said hammer, a trigger, and trigger-locking bolt and scar actuated by said rook er, substantially as set forth.

9. The hammer a and the Sear j, engaging therewith, in combination with the extensionarm rocker 7c, provided with a shoulder which is arranged to be moved by Said hammer and a shoulder which is arranged to move said Sear, and the scar-guard it, which has a curved end engaging a stud on said Sear, substantially as set forth.

10. In Combination with the Yframe B of a breechvioadingtire-arm, the triggenpiatenand the lock-cap plate t, which overlaps said trigA ger-plate. hot-h united by a single fasteningscreW, substantially as stated.

11. In combination, the lug 29, secured beneath the barrel and with a boltnolch in its front edge, the fore end D, slotted to receive said lng, the compensator 1, likewise in slot behind thelug,and the adj nsti n gscrew s. which operates said compensator by the arm 30 upon the latter, for purposes herein specified.

l2. In combination, the fore-end, the frame B, the joint-circle g, abutting thereagainst on an angle, with flat sides which t the lug-out, the barrel 32, which enters the end of the frame, and the fastening-pin 34 transversely ofsaid circle and having its center coincident with that of the recess in said frame B containing the circle, substantial] y as and [or purposes stated.

13. In combination with the frame and barrel, fore-end, and hammer, a cooking-lever attached to said frame and arranged to operate said hammer, and a cooking-pin attached to said fore-end and engaging said cooking-lever, said frame being provided with a stop, l0, arranged to be in Contact with Said cooking-pin and cooking-lever at their joint when the barrel is tilted, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I a'fx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDRINV E. VHITMORE. Witnesses:

H. E. Lonen, E. K. BoYN'roN. 

